RESEARCHERS AT THE JACOBS SCHOOL have developed polymer composite materials
to improve automobile safety during crashes. According to Structural Engineering
Professor Vistasp Karbhari, "By using composite crash rails, the energy
generated during impact can be absorbed and controlled, allowing the vehicle
to withstand larger accidents with less injury to occupants and less damage
to the critical structural elements."

Currently, crash rails run perpendicular to the front bumper and are
typically made of steel. They receive a tremendous amount of energy during
impact, at which time they buckle. This energy can be transferred to the
passengers. In contrast, composite rails can be designed to fail in very
precise ways through a sequence of damage mechanisms, absorbing and dampening
the energy. "This technology can make these cars lighter but also safer
– a combination that historically has not meshed well," explains Karbhari.

Karbhari and his students (one of whom, Jonathan Haller, now works at
Ford in Detroit) have been working on these designs for many years. They
have received one patent and are applying for two more. A number of automotive
companies are interested in the research and one is testing a concept
in which a composite rail shreds from within. The shredding mechanism
has been designed to absorb about twice the energy of previous composite
systems and fail in a predetermined sequence. This allows for gradual
impact and a tailored transition, thereby ensuring that deceleration forces
do not cause injury.